Fraud case nets doctors and nurses across U.S.

A massive government anti-fraud sweep has netted ninety-one suspects, including doctors and nurses, who are charged with fraud. Federal authorities say they perpetuated schemes intended to defraud Medicare of approximately $295 million. 

LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - Underscoring the size and importance of the operation, Attorney General Eric Holder and other enforcement officials including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and FBI Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry, announced the charges in Washington on Wednesday.

Lanny Breuer, the head of the Justice Department's criminal division told reporters, "From Brooklyn to Miami to Los Angeles, the defendants allegedly treated the Medicare program like a personal piggy bank."

Officials told reporters that operations were conducted in major cities across the U.S. including, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York. Approximately half of the defendants arrested in the sweep were from Miami.

Officials say the suspects committed fraud by falsely billing Medicare for a wide range of services including, home care, mental health, physical therapy, and even HIV treatments. More seriously, some of the defendants were charged with providing medically unnecessary treatments for the purpose of billing Medicare rather than for the health of the patients. 

The FBI says healthcare fraud in the U.S. is substantial, costing anywhere between $70 to $234 billion per year. Florida has a particularly notorious problem with healthcare fraud, being labeled as "ground zero" for Medicare fraud schemes. Florida also has significant problems with organized crime as well as other types of fraud including mortgage and securities fraud. 

Authorities are expected to step up their pursuit of Medicare fraud investigations. Medicare money is widely demanded and billions of dollars pass through the system every year. As politicians and the public demand more accountability aimed at reducing waste and fraud, more sweeps like these can be expected in the future. 

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